Page 4 of Rumor Has It

A few seconds later, she rounds the doorway into her living room, where I’m perched on the couch digging through the bag.

“Oh my god, you got Millie’s. You’re the best,” she says, plopping down beside me.

I take in her choice of outfit—one of those tight black bodysuits paired with ripped denim jeans and her cowgirl boots.Oh dear.

“I see you’re wearing your boots,” I say, placing a giant box of fries in front of her. “Does that mean—”

“No, thank you very much. Thelma will not be out tonight,” she says firmly.

But we both know anytime she wears those boots, it means Thelma—her alter ego—is gonna make an appearance.

“Mm-hmm.” We’ll see about that.

After scarfing down our food with minimal talking, she freshens up and then we head out. I let my eyes wander over her shorts a little slower, which honestly look fucking fantastic on her. I know she worries about her body, but she shouldn’t. Men don’t mind a little softness. Boys, on the other hand, are bitches. And she’s had a few bitches in her life, unfortunately. She’s cried over this too many times, and I never stop hating it. Which is why I do things like remind her to eat. And though we’ve only ever just been friends, I try to do little things to help her remember she’s beautiful and deserving.

“I see you’re trying to catch that bespectacled boy with a little honey,” I say, nudging her with my elbow.

“How did you know he was coming?” she asks, taken aback.

“I’m not an idiot, El.” I laugh. She must’ve thought she could get one by me.

“Actually, I’m going to lure him in with my sparkling personality, wit, and humor,” she says confidently. “And then close up like a Venus flytrap.”

I give a knowing nod as a strange sort of pride for my friend collects in my chest. But I can’t say that to her; it will make her all weepy.

“And if that doesn’t work, just motorboat him,” I say with a laugh.

“That only happened like three times!”

We pull into the parking lot of the bar, and there are only a few cars here at the moment but that won’t last long. It’s Friday night in a small town. It’s only a matter of time.

Also, it’s not so much a parking lot as it is a patch of gravel. Sometimes it sucks, but it sure makes for a good show when drunk fools start to stumble all over the place. I laugh especially hard when they’re in high heels.

Ellie pushes the door open, the sound of country music pouring out into a darkening sky. I take in a deep breath, bracing myself for the night to come. In this town, there’s always some kind of drama ready to boil over.

FOUR

ELLIE

I’ve patted my goddamn hair down three times in the last four minutes. I only know it’s been four minutes because I’ve checked my phone twice. I’m not usually this nervous, but this is my chance to make an impression on Colin.

From what I heard, his resume was pretty irresistible, which means he’s a smart guy. He’s also super sexy. I don’t know what it is about a man in glasses, but I’m a sucker for it. During the brief conversation I had with him in the faculty break room, I learned he’s from upstate New York, enjoys golfing, is single with no kids, and has a passion for food.

That last discovery excited me, as a passion for food rather than intense daily exercise works better for me and my mental health.

“Here you go,” Theo says, dropping a bottle of beer and a shot of tequila onto the table in front of me.

“A shot?” I give him my signatureare you sure that’s a good idea?look.

“Just one celebratory shot between friends before everyone shows up,” he says, holding his own up toward me.

“What are we celebrating?” I ask.

Theo’s face goes blank for a second, his eyes darting from left to right. “Um, surviving the work week?”

I laugh. “I can get behind that.”

Our shot glasses clink together as we both lick salt from the backs of our hands. I down my shot as he does the same, and then we both grab for lime wedges. The bite of citrus makes me squirm as the back of my throat and chest begin to burn.

---